Milk-can-cover lock and seal.



PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

UNITED STATES FRANK A. ARIENS, OF CARROLL, IO\VA.

IVIlLK-CAN-COVER LOCK AND SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Applieatiou filed December 10.1904. Serial No. 236,349.

o (1v/ Irl/0m, 'it 'may concern.'

Be it knownthat 1, FRANK A. ARIENS, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Carroll, in the county of Carroll and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Milk- Can-(over Lock and Seal, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to prevent milk-cans from being' opened when filled and stored or in transit, as required to protect the milk from being spilled. stolen, or adulterated.

My invention consists in means for locking a cover on the can and sealing it, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying' drawings, in which-- Fig'ure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the top portion of a milk-can of common form and a cover fitted thereto and mechanism connected with the cover and top of the can as required to lock the cover to the can and seal it. Fig. Q is a bottom view of the cover and shows spring locking-clasps in their normal position, as required for placing the cover on the can and taking it off at pleasure.

The numeral 10 designates the can, and 12 its funnel-shaped top. The cover is funnelshaped and has a ring 13 fitted to enter the vertical portion 14 of the top of the can, and 15 is a funnel-shaped top of the cover fitted in the funnel-shaped top 12 of the can. A horizontal transverse partition 16 is fixed in the cover at its lower and small end, as shown in Fig'. 1, or in any suitable way to close the funnel-shaped top 15, as required to prevent milk passing' upward therethrough or dirt or foreign matter passing' through downward into milk in the can. A spring-wire 17 is fixed to the under side of the partition 16 and its ends bent downward and outward to produce clasps 18, that normally are in position, as shown in Fig. 2, and adapted to be pressed outward to engage the milk-can, as shown in Fig. 1, to securely lock the cover to the can. To adjust the clasps 18 as required to lock the cover to the can, a nut 19 is fixed to the under side and center of the partition 16, and a screw 20, having a cross-head 21 at its top, is extended down through the partition 16 and the nut 19, and the lower end of the screw is reduced in diameter to produce a shoulder, and a cross-bar or follower 99 secured on the lower end of the screw, as shown in Fig. 1, in such a manner that the ends of the follower will engage the clasps 18 and press them outward when the screw 20 is actuated in the nut 19 to move the followerdownward and into position, as shown in Fig. 1. A reverse motion of the screwQO elevates the follower 22 into position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and allows the clasps 18 to resume their normal positions, as required to unlock the cover, so it can be removed from the can.

To seal the cover when locked on the can, the funnel-shaped tops of the can and the cover are provided with apertures that will be in coinciding position. A wire 23 is connected with the cross-head 21 of the screw 20, as shown in Fig. 1, or in any suitable way and passed out through the coinciding apertures and its ends fixed in a seal 24 in a common way.

Having thus set forth the purpose of my invention and its construction and manner of use, the practical operation and utility thereof will be obvious to dairymen and others familiar with the art to which it pertains.

/Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-A- 1. A milk-can cover having a transverse partition, a nut fixed to its under side and center, a screw extended down through the nut, spring-clasps fixed to the under side of the partition, a follower fixed to the lower end of the screw, a wire fixed to thel screw and its ends extended out through an aperture in the cover for connecting' a seal therewith, to operate in the manner set forth to press the clasps outward for the purposes stated.

2. A cover, lock and seal for milk-cans cornprising a funnel-shaped cover having' a fixed horizontal partition, a nut fixed on the under side of the partition, a screw having a crosshead at its top extended down through the nut, a follower fixed to the lower end of the screw, spring-clasps fixed to the under side of the partition, a wire fixed to the cross-head and extended through an aperture in the cover, in combination with a milk-can having an-aperture for the wire and a seal on the ends of the wire, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposes stated.

FRANK A. ARIENS. l/Vitnesses:

CHAs. C. HELMER, E. R. NIoHnLs.

IOO 

